


What Could Have Been

by gaydemonium



Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Malec-centric, Malec, Multi, clace, jalec - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-11
Updated: 2016-03-11
Packaged: 2018-05-26 03:26:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6221743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaydemonium/pseuds/gaydemonium
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alec gets a chance to look into an alternate universe where his life is different and could have been different if Max didn't die.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Could Have Been

"I can show you, you know."

Alec, who had been doing some spring cleaning in Magnus' apartment, stopped dusting for a second to look at him. "That sounds vague. What do you mean? Show me what?"

Magnus pointed to a mirror on the wall across from the window. "I can show you what could have been. Show you what your life would've been like if Max was still alive."

Alec stiffened at the mention of his little brother's name. "Why would I want that? He's dead. That's not going to change."

"No, but I thought you might want a glimpse into an alternate life. I know you've been dying to know what he'd be like today if he was still alive. It's a one time opportunity, Alexander. Just one time only."

Alec sighed. Ever since Max died, he had wondered what life would've been like if he hadn't been murdered by Sebastian's hand. Max didn't deserve to die as young as he did. He was just a child. He was barely starting to learn runes when he passed away.

"Fine. One time. If I don't like what I see-"

"You can withdraw from the vision any time you please. Your mind will be out there but your body will still be here. You'll react to your surroundings. Any signs of distress and I'll pull you out of the dream myself. Are we clear?"

Alec nodded. "Sure. Yeah. What do I have to do? Drink a liquid? Chant a nursery rhyme?"

Magnus rolled his eyes. "Lay down, you adorable idiot. I'll do the hard work. All you have to do is lie there and look pretty."

Alec laughed, laying down on the leather couch. "I can do that. This spell seems pretty easy so far."

"It's easy now, but this next part is tricky. The mirror is supposed to hover over your body and your soul goes inside it, exploring all the possible lives you could have lived."

Alec scratched his head. "My soul leaves my body? Isn't that a little dangerous?"

"It is but-"

"What if it doesn't come back?"

"Alec. Relax. I've done this before. With Victor Van Gogh, actually. He wanted to see into his other lives. See visions of paintings he hadn't done yet."

"And how did that work out for him?"

Magnus hesitated. "He cut off his ear from insanity. And before you say anything, yes I was the reason behind that historic moment."

Alec shrugged. "Okay. At this point in our relationship, I automatically assume you're behind every historic checkpoint in history in the past 600 years."

Magnus grinned. "Aww, you're so sweet, Alexander. Now lay down and be quiet. I need complete concentration for this."

Alec closed his eyes. Magnus had begun speaking in an unknown language and had made the mirror on the wall hover above him. Alec peeked open an eye to glance at his reflection, but it was no longer there. Instead, the glass shimmered and vibrated, revealing hundreds of images of lives he could've had. Lives that could've happened if Max had lived.

"Close your eyes, Alec. Pick one. Any one you want. Pick it and dream it. I'll watch over you as your soul wanders. But remember.....what you see isn't real. None of it is real," Magnus said in a soft voice.

Alec let his mind wander, going through the images in his mind. When he found one he wanted, he reached out and took hold of it, and a flash of white light blinded him.

• • • • • • • •

"Alec. Get up. Mom's fuming. We're late for the decorating thingy."

A strange voice rused Alec out of his sleep. This voice didn't sound like anyone he knew. It wasn't Jace. It wasn't Magnus. It didn't even sound like Simon. Who could it be?

"Alec! Geez, did you die in your sleep?! Get up!" Someone shoved him off the bed and he landed with a THUD to the floor.

Alec's eyes snapped open and he whipped out the seraph blade that was tucked under his pillow. It lit up immediately, nearly blinding him, but once his eyes adjusted, he got a better look at who was yelling at him.

The boy had dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes that regarded him with disgust. He was tall, almost as tall as Alec, and skinny with lean muscle. He looked oddly familiar....

"So? Are you getting up? Or do I have to get mom to come in here and have her yell at you instead?" The boy said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Uh......" Something clicked in Alec's head the longer he stared at the boy in front of him. When the recognition finally hit him, the seraph blade he was holding fell to the floor.

The boy was Max.

Max had to be at least 15. His voice was deep and he had light peach fuzz on his face. He had marks on him just like Alec, which meant he was a Shadowhunter in training. Max was no longer the skinny little 9 year old that Alec clearly remembered. This teenager was practically a stranger to him.

"I thought you were dead? You died. I held you in my arms...."

Max gave him an odd look. "Died? Why would I be dead? Did you snort fairy dust last night or something?"

Alec regained his composure. "No. No, I......had a nightmare. Bad dream."

Max shrugged. "Whatever. I just came up here to tell you that mom needs your help downstairs. Isabelle can't help her because she's getting ready for the wedding."

"Wedding? Who's getting married?"

Max snorted. "You must've hit your head when I shoved you out of bed. Isabelle's getting married, you idiot. Remember? To the vampire?"

Alec's mouth dropped open. Isabelle was marrying Simon? And he's still a vampire? The Clave wouldn't allow this. Not the Clave he knew.

He quickly dressed himself and took the stairs two at a time. In the main entrance, his mother Maryse was checking off things in a notebook and directing a group of men holding boxes. When she saw Alec, her face lit up with a smile, which was rare. She hardly ever smiled.

"Alexander! There you are. Max said he had a hard time getting you up and about. Are you feeling okay? He said you had a nightmare."

Alec nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. You needed me for something?"

Maryse handed him a sheet of paper. "I need you to bring this to Magnus when you can. It's a special order wedding cake. The icing changes colours and flavours depending on who's holding the plate. Neat, huh?"

"That is neat. Does Magnus still live in Brooklyn?"

Maryse chuckled. "Alec. You're such a joker. Normally I'd expect this kind of behaviour from Jace. Never from you." She kissed his cheek and walked away, yelling at the decorators.

Jace. Where was he? Was he alive in this alternate life?

Alec took out his phone, which he had found lying on the floor of his bedroom. He scrolled through the names until he found his parabatai. He tapped on the name and waited.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

The number you have dialled is either no longer in service or the person you are trying to reach is out of service. Please dial again or call your local phone company for service.

Alec's heart jumped into his throat. He swallowed past the vile that threatened to come up. Jace couldn't be....he can't be.....

He was about to check his parabatai mark when a portal suddenly opened up a few feet away from him, and Magnus and Clary stepped through. Clary was laughing as Magnus twirled her and then dipped her.

"And that is how I danced back in the day," Magnus laughed. "I still got it, thankfully. But I won't be dipping Alec tonight-" Magnus saw Alec standing in the hallway and beamed. "Alexander! You're finally awake!"

Alec forced a smile. Magnus had streaks of blue and red in his hair that he didn't have back his other life. It looked good on him, but it wasn't his Magnus. "I just woke up. M-Max got me up. Were you both just in Idris?"

Clary giggled. "Yes, silly. We told you this last night. Last minute decorating, remember? Magnus did an amazing job on the Lightwood home."

Magnus shrugged, grinning from ear to ear. "Well, I don't mean to brag....but I did do an amazing job, didn't I? You should've seen it, Alec. The chandelier-"

"Don't tell him! It'll be a surprise for when the wedding reception is on tonight. He'll be almost as shocked as when you decorated at your wedding."

Magnus' wedding? Who was he married to? Alec looked down at his finger and saw a gold wedding band on his left hand.

Oh.

"Um....where's Jace?" Alec's voice cracked as he spoke.

As if on cue, the portal opened again and a golden haired young man stepped out, glitter covering every inch of his body.

"Magnus I swear it wasn't me-" Jace shook his hair out and glitter fell to the floor like rain. "It went off on its own-"

Magnus hissed like a cat. "You set off the glitter cannon, didn't you? Jace Herondale, when I get my hands on you-"

"Careful. Your husband is standing just over there," Jace looked over at Alec and winked. "Hey, brother. Excited for the wedding tonight?"

Alec's heart did a somersault in his chest. Without even thinking, he went over to Jace and embraced him into a tight hug. Jace hesitated at first, but returned the embrace after a few seconds.

"Damn, Alec. If I knew being away was going to make you soft, I wouldn't have left the institute. What's wrong with you?" Jace laughed, holding Alec at arm's length and looking him over.

"He had a nightmare. Or so he says," Max appeared next to them, looking between the parabatai's. "What? It's true. Alec said I was dead."

"Did he now? Why would you say that, Alec? Max is alive and more annoying than ever," Jace grabbed Max in a headlock and rubbed his scalp with his knuckles. "You're annoying, aren't you little brother?"

Max struggled under Jace's grip. "Let me go! I'm too old for this crap, Jace! Come on!"

Alec felt a smile creep up on his lips as he watched his little brother wiggle his way out of Jace's grip. Just as he freed himself, Maryse came over to the group, clipboard in hand.

"Okay. Institute is all decorated. Our home in Idris is decorated. All we need to do now is get ready ourselves. Alec, your suit is upstairs in your closet. Max-oh Max. Did you grow again? By the angel....." Maryse sighed. "We'll get a last minute tux for you. No sense in taking new measurements. That takes too long."

Max shrugged. "Sorry. I'll turn my puberty off for a bit."

Maryse pulled his face down to hers and kissed his cheek. "My sweet baby boy. You're going to look so handsome tonight. Maybe you'll dance with Emma Carstairs?"

Max blushed. "Mom, she's 3 years older than me. Besides, rumor has it that-"

"Don't. Don't go there, Max. We don't know for sure if it's true. And we don't want it to be true, right?" Jace shook his head at Max.

Max nodded. "Yeah. It'd be bad for her and Julian. Anyway, I'm gonna go get ready in my room. Can I bring a weapon with me?"

Maryse rolled her eyes. "Why on earth would you need a weapon?"

"You never know."

"It's a wedding, Max."

"Fine! Geez! Doesn't hurt being prepared for the worst!" Max stomped his way upstairs, muttering something about sneaking a seraph dagger in his jacket.

Alec smirked. That sounded like something his Max would've done. The other Max. The one that was murdered....

"Alec? You look deep in thought. What's on your mind?" Magnus held his hand and led him upstairs.

"Nothing. Just nervous for the wedding, that's all," he smiled but he knew Magnus saw right through it.

"Hmm. If you say so." Magnus opened up the closet doors and took out a black tux. "I can't believe your mother agreed to mundane customs. It still blows my mind."

"Well if Isabelle is marrying Simon, he obviously can't get the runes. They'd kill him. We turned out okay, didn't we? You're okay with a ring?"

"Oh I'm fantastic with a ring. It goes well with my complexion." Magnus looked at his ring, admiring it. "Tell me about this nightmare of yours."

Alec sighed. "Can we drop it? It wasn't that bad."

"That's not what Max said. From the sound of it, it was pretty bad. Want to share? Maybe I can interpret it for you."

Alec snorted. "I thought tarot cards and parlour tricks weren't your thing?"

Magnus came over to him and sat next to him on the bed. "Alec....I'm trying to help you. I want to help you. So share your thoughts. What's said in this room, stays in this room. Deal?"

Alec pulled off his old sweater, feeling Magnus' cat eyes admiring his body. "I was in Idris. I'm 18. Max was 9. There was a battle and we had won. When I went back to the main square, my parents were holding Max's dead body. His head-" His voice cracked again. "He was murdered. I held him in my arms and cried. That's all I remember."

Magnus wiped the stray tear that fell from Alec's eye. "Sounds like quite the nightmare. Did it feel real, by any chance?"

Alec wiped his nose in his sweater. "What?"

"Did it feel real? Like it wasn't your life that you were seeing, but someone else's?"

Alec stared him in the eye. Did this Magnus somehow know that he was from another life? How could that be possible-

"You guys ready yet? You're as slow as Izzy when she gets ready, and she takes forever," Max waltzed into the room, admiring himself in the full length mirror. His hair was gelled stylishly to the side and for finishing touches, he sprayed on some of Alec's cologne. "Damn, I look good. Gonna find me some ladies tonight. What do you think?"

Alec rolled his eyes. "I think you need to get out of my room before I make you get out."

"So you can make out with your hubby?" Max made kissy noises and began to kiss his hand. "Oh Magnus Bane! You're so fabulous and amazing and I love the way you run your hands through my hair-hey!"

Alec had thrown Max over his shoulder and tossed him out into the hall, his little brother landing in a crumpled heap on the floor. "Maybe next time you'll listen to me when I say get out of my room. And for the record.....I run my hands through his hair." Alec slammed the door, but managed to catch Max's shocked expression on his face before the door was fully closed.

Magnus had a grin on his face when Alec turned around. "That was rather bold of you. Kicking your brother out like that? There better be some making out involved after that little show."

"Shut up," Alec grabbed Magnus by the jacket and yanked him forward, his lips slamming into the warlock's. He felt Magnus' hands grip his waist, smooth fingers tracing the arch of his hipbones and trailing over his back. He shivered, fumbling to open the buttons of Magnus' blazer.

Magnus stopped him, shaking his head. "Not now. We have a wedding to go to, remember?"

Alec groaned. "Can we skip it? Stay here instead?"

Magnus laughed, kissing him again. "Oh, Alexander. Isabelle would kill you herself. I can't attend a wedding and a funeral in the same day. I don't have an outfit picked out for a funeral." He checked his watch and sighed. "You better get ready. Your mother will think we were up to no good up here instead of getting ready. See you in a bit, cupcake."

"Cupcake?"

"That one's no good either? You're hard to please. Sheesh," Magnus snapped his fingers and he disappeared in a cloud of glitter.

Now alone in his room, Alec picked up his tux and looked at his reflection in the mirror. For a moment, he thought he saw a flash of himself laying down on a leather couch with his eyes closed, but it was probably just his imagination.

Shaking his head, he took the tux out from its plastic bag. "Okay. Let's get this over with."

• • • • • • • •

At the church, everyone was sitting in the pews, chatting and laughing as they waited for the ceremony to start. Alec was standing next to Magnus, chatting with Jordan, who sat in the front row with Luke's pack. Jordan had on black pants and white dress shirt, sleeves rolled up to reveal his new tattoo. To love is to destroy it said on his right forearm. Alec thought this sounded oddly familiar.....

Up front, Simon stood in a tux himself, nervously tapping his foot as people came up to shake his hand and wish him luck. He had agreed to a Christian wedding, even though he was Jewish, all because he wanted Isabelle to be comfortable with something she was more familiar with. He didn't really care as long as he was getting married. Jace was grinning from ear to ear as the priest, who was also a Shadowhunter, kept throwing glances at Simon as if he was waiting for him to kill someone at any second. Of course, this was entertaining to Jace. Everything entertained him.

The organ began to play and everyone got to their feet. The grooms took their places at the front of the church, waiting for the bridesmaids to make their way down the aisle. Clary was the first to come out, her dress a deep blue color. Her red hair was pinned back, with two strands dangling on either side of her face. Alec glanced at Jace. His parabatai had the biggest smile on his face as she walked down the aisle. Even Joceyln and Luke looked proud of her and it wasn't even Clary getting married.

Next was Emma Carstairs. Her dress was the same color, as was her hairstyle. She had an aura of confidence as she made her way down the aisle. Alec couldn't help but notice that Max was gawking at her as if she were an angel. Julian, Emma's parabatai, glared at Max and hit him on the back of the head, reaching over an aisle, causing Max to come out of his trance. Maryse had to hold him back to keep him from jumping over the pew to fight Julian.

Aline Penhallow came out next. She almost tripped as she made her way down the aisle. She quickly regained her balance, whispering softly to her girlfriend Helen Blackthorn before making her way down the aisle again.

Maia was the last of the bridesmaids to walk out. Alec could tell she hated being in a dress. Her smile was forced and she kept picking at the straps of it, looking very uncomfortable. Beside him, Jordan gave her an enthusiastic thumbs up and almost immediately, her smile became full blown real.

At last, Isabelle appeared at the door. Robert Lightwood had her hand tucked under his arm as he walked her down the aisle. Isabelle looked beautiful in her wedding dress. Her marks stood out against the white of the dress, and the red necklace that was passed down to her hung from her neck. She even had on her snake whip. When Max saw this, he turned to complain to his mother, but Maryse raised a hand, cutting him off before he could complain.

Finally, Isabelle was at the alter. Robert had kissed her cheek and shook Simon's hand before taking a seat. Simon blushed as Isabelle smiled at him, her eyes sparkling up at him.

The priest cleared his throat. "You may take a seat." The crowd all sat down. "We are gathered here today to bring together Simon Lewis and Isabelle Lightwood in holy matrimony. If there is anyone here who don't wish these two souls to be together, speak now or forever hold your peace." When no one spoke, the priest nodded his head. "I understand you both have vows. Please read them to each other."

Simon nodded, reaching into his pocket and taking out a piece of paper. "Uh....this went through the wash by accident. I dropped some coffee on the tux yesterday....." The crowd laughed as Simon turned red in the face. "Isabelle Lightwood. From the moment I met you, I knew you were someone special. I didn't think we'd ever be up at the alter reading vows but hey. Life turned out much better than I expected," he chuckled as the audience laughed again. "We've been through a lot together. I know physically I'm still 16, but I feel that we've grown up together. Our lives have been one twist after another. You've held my hand through the worst of times, and I hope to return the favour and do the same for you. I promise to protect you and love you until we're both old and withering away-"

Alec saw Simon pause, realizing his mistake in the vow. Giving him an encouraging nudge, Alec urged him to keep going. Simon took a deep (and uneccessary) breath and continued to read.

"I promise to give you the world, if that is what you desire, and the stars too if you wanted more. Our love knows no bounds and we can only grow stronger from here." Simon put away his papers and smiled at Isabelle as she took out her own vows.

"Simon Lewis. When I first met you, I thought you were nerd hot," she grinned as the audience laughed for the third time. "But getting to know you made me realize that you are so much more than a cute face. You're funny, intelligent, and loving. Yes, we did fight many battles together and have been through thick and thin, and I promise you that it isn't the end. We will have many more battles to fight, and we will win them all together. We will face our adversities together and come out as better people for it. I promise to be your sevenfold. I, too, will give you the world if that's what you wanted. The world and the stars beyond it."

Clary rubbed Isabelle's arm as she began to cry, whispering encouraging words.

"I promise to make your life easier and to love you until we're both old and gray," Simon smiled as she said this. "No matter what happens, I will love you for forever. And I don't want the world. I just want you."

The priest came up to them again. "Do you have your rings?"

Simon nodded. "Yes. Where's Church-oh. There you are."

The gray fat cat was sat at the bottom of the altar, a small pillow in his mouth. When Simon took the rings, he purred and went back to his spot in the front row, next to Chairman Meow who purred loudly as Church returned to his spot and began to lick him.

"Please place the ring on the ring finger of the left hand." Simon and Isabelle did as they were told. "With the power invested in me by the angel, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Simon beamed and planted a kiss on Isabelle's lips, causing the church to go wild with cheers. Jace whistled and clapped, Jordan howled (literally) and Alec couldn't help but wipe his own tears away. Magnus held his hand and laughed.

The newly weds ran down the aisle together and stepped into the portal that Magnus created, and Alec could see institute on the other side. One by one, the crowd stepped through the portal and soon enough, they were at the reception in the institute. The place was now fully decorated, the cake flashed different colours like Maryse had wanted, and the music could be heard through the speakers in the corners of the building.

Magnus beamed. "I do an impeccable job, don't I?"

"What do you mean? My mother did the decorating-"

"Your mother did the decorating. I did the redecorating. Her taste is atrocious. Look at her. She looks devastated that her streamers are down."

Alec looked over at his mother, who looked like she was about to faint at any moment.

"See? Without my sense of direction, this party wouldn't anywhere near as fabulous looking. Champagne?"

Alec took a glass and took a sip. He saw Max over in the corner, watching Emma as she chatted with other Shadowhunters her age. Alec felt bad for Max. He tried so hard to get her attention, but it was impossible when Julian was around. The boy had eyes like a hawk.

The bride and groom returned to the reception, and the crowd cheered and clapped. Alec joined in, watching Simon lean in to kiss Isabelle. Isabelle was about to return the kiss when something unexpected happened.

The doors to the institute exploded open. Shards of wood went everywhere, some hitting the walls and some hitting the guests. Screams erupted and chaos ensued. Alec, on the floor, turned to see what caused the explosion.

But it wasn't what caused it.

It was who.

Alec's heart thundered in his chest when the person who stood in the doorway came into view, and a sudden hatred rose in his body.

Sebastian Verlac raised a sword in the air and looked around the room. His white blonde hair glistened under the light of the chandelier and his cold eyes scanned the room; if he was looking for someone in particular, Alec had no clue.

"Jace. I'm looking for Jace Lightwood. Wayland. Herondale. Morgenstern. Whatever your goddamn name is," he spoke. Even his voice was cold.

From the corner of his eye, Alec saw Jace rise to his feet. Of course, Jace had to play hero and save the day. It's just who he was. Alec wanted to reach out and hold him back but he seemed frozen with dread and fear.

"Sebastian. You're like a cat. You have nine lives," Jace spat, seraph blade in his hand.

Sebastian grinned. "I get around. What is that mundane saying? You can't kill evil?"

Jace smirked. "So you admit to being evil? That's golden. Usually the bad guy doesn't admit that."

Sebastian raised his sword. "You killed my father, orphan boy. Now I've come to kill you."

Jace raised his own weapon as Sebastian charged him, but his eyes widened as Sebastian stumbled and gripped his shoulder in pain. About twenty feet behind him, Max had his throwing arm raised, the dagger that he said he was going to sneak into the wedding lodged deeply into Sebastian's back.

Sebastian reached over his shoulder and pulled out the knife. "Well then. That was unexpected. I'll have to deal with you later, orphan. Right now I have to deal with the little bastard that threw his knife at me."

Alec watched in fear as Sebastian stalked his way over to Max, who whimpered in fright and had fallen to the floor and was trying scramble away from Sebastian. The look in his eyes was something Alec had never seen before in his life. This was pure, raw fear.

"I'll admit. You have good aim. Couldn't aim for my head though, could you? Haven't you killed before, Baby Lightwood?" Sebastian clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Such a shame. And now you never will. Because I'm going to kill you."

Alec let out a scream as Sebastian raised his sword in the air and struck down with a power that only he could dream of. His vision blurred and the world seemed to tilt on its side.

When his vision cleared, Alec saw that it wasn't Max that Sebastian had struck.

It was Isabelle.

Standing between the sword and Max, Isabelle let out a choked gasp as Sebastian, who looked quite surprised himself, slid the sword from her chest and backed away. Isabelle fell to the floor with a thump, blood pouring from the wound in her chest.

The world seemed to move in slow motion. Alec watched as Luke's pack charged Sebastian, jaws open and ready for the kill. His mother let out a piercing scream. Jace was rushing over to Isabelle's body. Max was sobbing and cradling his knees as he rocked back and forth. His world was chaos.

When he finally moved, he crawled over to Isabelle's body and held her head on his lap. Tears rolled down his face as Jace frantically drew an iratze on her skin.

"It's not working. Alec-Alec it's not working! Magnus!" Jace yelled.

Magnus rushed over and let his hand hover over the wound. "It's no use. The wound is beyond my healing expertise. I can't....." He frowned. "I can't save her."

The Lightwood family sobbed as Isabelle smiled and held Max's hand. "You be good, okay? Listen to mom and dad. And stay out of Alec's room."

Max sniffed, nodding. "Izzy.....don't go. Please don't go."

Simon suddenly appeared over Isabelle. "I can save her. I can change her-"

"No," Isabelle croaked. "Don't. I want to die with dignity like a Shadowhunter should. I've done my job. I've done what I was trained for."

Alec choked so hard on a sob that it hurt his throat. "Izzy.....no."

Isabelle smiled. "Oh, Alexander. You know this isn't real, right?"

Alec looked at her. "What? What do you mean?"

She smiled one final time before she let out a sigh and closed her eyes, dying peacefully and with dignity.

Alec shook her. "Izzy. Izzy, no. Wake up, Izzy! Isabelle! Wake up!"

"Alec! Wake up! Alexander Gideon Lightwood!"

Alec woke with a start, panting for air. He was in Magnus' apartment, laying on the couch with a mirror hovering over him. His skin was soaked with sweat and his clothes were clinging to him. Magnus was sitting beside him, a worried expression on his face.

"Magnus. I-" Alec swallowed hard. "Isabelle. She-"

"I know. I saw everything. It wasn't real, Alec. None of it was," Magnus dabbed a cold cloth on his forehead. "I'm sorry you had to see that. I thought for sure you had picked one of the happier lives. I guess I shouldn't judge a book by its cover."

Alec sat up, rubbing his forehead. "My phone. Give me my phone." Magnus handed him his cell and he dialled Isabelle's number.

She answered after one ring. "What now? I'm on patrol with Clary. Can it wait?"

Alec sighed with relief. "Thank god you're okay."

"Why wouldn't I be? Alec, are you sniffing fairy dust or something? Drinking one of Magnus' concoctions? You seem a bit out of it."

"I'm fine. Just wanted to make sure you were okay," Alec took a deep breath before speaking again. "Hey, Iz? Do you think we could go visit Max tomorrow?"

Isabelle was silent for a moment. "Sure. Yeah. That sounds good. He would've been 15. Today's his birthday. Remember?"

Alec smiled and nodded. "Yeah I know. I'll see you later, Izzy. Be safe."

"You too, brother. Lay off that fairy dust, okay?" She laughed as she hung up.

Alec snapped his phone shut and sighed heavily. "Never again am I doing that. I think other lives should stay separate from the one I'm living now."

"Agreed. It was pretty intense, from what I saw. But you're okay, Alexander. You're okay now." Magnus kissed his forehead and held his hand. "But I think I'm going to have to have a talk with that other Magnus. Interior decorator? Seriously?!"

Alec laughed, returning the kiss and holding the warlock in his arms, glad that he was home in his reality again.


End file.
